Forgotten, Then Found
by mandaree1
Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe!**

 **Title: Forgotten; Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **Warnings: Yes, this is another 'how they found/met Amethyst' story. Non-canon complaint (by which I mean that, if and when we finally hear the story of how they found Amethyst, it'll be a lot cooler than this). This is all going to be from Amethyst's eyes, by the way.**

 **...**

Amethyst's favorite thing to do is close her eyes.

She has lot's of other favorites, obviously. She likes climbing on rocks and sitting on rocks. She really liked kicking that one rock into two rocks, but there's only a limited number of rocks to be found here that aren't part of the walls, so she can't do that often.

Even still, her favorite thing to do is curl up in her hole and close her eyes. When she does that, her body starts to feel heavy and she starts _seeing_ things. Things that don't exist. Bright splashes of color and light, places filled with animals (she's seen a few of those- they wander in and never wander back out. They don't seem to be able to live in this place) and lot's of rocks.

Extreme daydreaming, or so she calls it. It's couple hundred years before she finds out it's called dreaming.

She likes swallowing things, too. It feels weird, but not in a bad way.

There's not a whole lot of things to swallow around here. But there _are_ pebbles and small stones, and those do just fine.

Still, nothing beats extreme daydreaming. Heck, not even extreme not-daydreaming can do the trick.

(It's called boredom. That feeling she's feeling. She just doesn't know what it's called yet. Or that she has yet to feel _actual_ excitement.)

 **Author's Note: So... Yeah. The prologue's short.**

 **Here's the thing. I've gotten three chapters, including the prologue, written out. I plan on typing them out and posting them within the next few days. After that, there's gonna be a silence. See, we're having problems with the internet at home. I'm at a family member's house for the week. It's probably gonna be a few weeks before that all gets sorted out.**

 **I have a Connie story idea I'd like to write out, too. I'll probably have some chapters of that after the silence is over.**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe!**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **...**

 **Liliana Dragonshard \- A while for humans, I'm sure. =)**

 **GottaGoBuyCheese \- Thanks!**

 **The 8000th Salad Plate \- Thanks! **

**Creative Bacon \- Yeah, I'm not one for things that short either. I'm hoping for 1,000 words or more from here on in.**

 **Siilllttt \- Well, here's the next chapter! =)**

 **Purest Of Hearts \- Ah, but compared to some of the things we've seen her eat on show or mentioned (engine oil, anyone?) rocks probably aren't that bad. Besides, desperate times call for desperate eats.**

 **...**

Amethyst knows, vaguely, that there had to have been more creatures like her.

Of course there was. She couldn't have just been _created_ all on her own. She has special programming, things that are built into her gem. Things that tell her how to summon and use her weapon, things that tell her how she's supposed to act. Things that make her feel _feral_.

(Things that tell her she's not right, that the coding in her gem _should_ be law, not suggestion, and the fact that she has a unique personality and thought process all her own means she's a _mistake_.)

The coding had to have been implanted in her _before_ she was put into the ground. She certainly couldn't have done it herself.

There are also scratch marks and rubble from the other gems scattered about the walls of her home. Whoever they were, they were a rowdy bunch. Which, considering her, made sense.

The coding tells her she should've left this place a long time ago, that whoever was here before _left her behind_ because she took so long they thought she was never going to awaken. She shrugs it off. She likes it here; this place is _home_. Why would she want to leave this place to go to the sky?

Forget that. Give her her hole and extreme daydreaming any day.

The only complaint she has about her home is that it's _quiet_. Other than the odd rock fall, it's silent. Amethyst, while capable of understanding speech thanks to her programming, has yet to learn how to actually _speak_ , and is therefore of little use. All she can do is grunt and kick stones around to liven things up.

There's that one stone with the hole in it, but it makes Amethyst's ears hurt. It screeches when it turns on and squeaks when it turns off. She can hear voices in-between, but the things they say are pretty horrible, not to mention sad, so she tries to avoid it.

Until, one day, something walks by her hole.

Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and _tall_.

Amethyst normally likes being tiny. Now she wishes she were anything but.

She briefly considers just hiding until it leaves, but she's always been too curious for her own good. Besides; like she said, she's tiny. She can always hide in places that big thing can't reach, if it gets down to it.

She's never been all that good at stalking. Animal's skitter away whenever she goes near them, no matter how sneaky she tries to be. Nonetheless, the creature either doesn't notice her or doesn't find her to be a threat. It keeps walking, head held high, and the only thing Amethyst is sure of is that it has really pretty hair.

She kinda wishes _her_ hair could curl like that. But, even if it did, she probably couldn't pull it off as well as it- she?- did.

She follows it all the way to the noise rock, wincing at the sounds the creature makes. It sounds like speech, but... lighter. More methodical? Amethyst isn't sure if she likes it (humming), but it's loud. Louder than anything she's done before.

"Here we are." The creature- a gem like her, she notices with sinking dread- crouches down to pick the rock up with a satisfied nod. "This should be the last of them."

Amethyst lets out a small squeak- because that's the only noisy thing in this whole place and she's just _taking_ it like it's nothing- and immediately steps back, stumbling over her own feet.

The gem with pretty curls jerks to her feet, rock in her arms. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

No, no there wasn't. Amethyst skittered away to hide behind a rock. The climbing rock, actually. Her favorite.

"Please come out." She pleads, looking around for any signs of movement. "I don't mean you any harm, I promise."

Amethyst had only heard the word 'promise' once before. She doesn't know if that's a good thing or not. The gem who'd said it didn't sound very happy, either.

She edges a little closer, because she's never been that bright. The gem doesn't seem to notice.

"I didn't mean to startle you." She's saying. "I was just retrieving the last of the Wailing Stones. I'm not here to fight."

Amethyst climbs to the top of her climbing rock and sits down, staring down at her apprehensively to see what she'll do. The lady with pretty hair gasps. "You're so _small_!" She knows that- had made herself smaller, even. She came out fully grown, but had shrunk down to make things like climbing more challenging and fun. "Must be a- thought they'd gotten rid of them all." She mutters. She holds up a finger. "I'll be _right_ back."

She disappeared over the hill. Amethyst watched her go.

'Right back' actually ends up being two or three days, but in gem time that's only a few minutes.

"There you are." She says, voice light. She crouches down to get a better look at her, and suddenly what was once her hole now felt like a cage. "I was worried you'd run away."

Run away to where? This place is all she's ever known. She doesn't know of a place she can run _to_.

"I'm Rose." She holds out a hand. "You must be Amethyst."

For a short moment she's dumbfounded that she _knows her name_ , but then she remembers that, duh, her gem's right smack dab in the middle of her chest, dummy. Of course she knows who you are.

"I have some associates just over that ridge that are dying to meet you." You can die waiting to meet somebody? Dang. That sounds serious. Amethyst doesn't want to _kill_ anybody.

She reaches out and grabs the pretty lady's hand.

 **Author's Note: Chapter One done!**

 **I'll probably have Chapter two done today or tomorrow. Then be prepared for a haitus of my own. (Hey, it's only a month or two before new episodes, right? That's not to bad.)**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe!**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **...**

 **GayPearl \- That she is! =)**

 **Lilianna Dragonshard \- Yeah, it's gonna take some work.**

 **...**

For gems that were going to die if she didn't meet them, they certainly don't seem very happy to see her.

The one on her left summons a sword. The second follows suit- this time with a spikey chain ball.

Amethyst, unsure of what they want from her, summons her weapon as well, cracking it against the ground in demonstration. The two gems jerked and took up threatening stances, leaving her even _more_ confused.

"Oh, put your weapons away, both of you. Can't you see she's harmless?"

The sword one- a lovely shade of faded green- points her weapon at the whip laying useless in her hands. "But, madam Quartz! Can't you see she-"

"She's following your example." She interrupts. "She doesn't know what you want from her, so she's following your example. That's all. Watch." She turns to her. "Amethyst, would you put that away?" Her voice is strained. " _Please_?"

She does, but only because the pretty lady asked her nicely.

"See? Harmless."

The second one- a shade of color (blue) she's never seen before- puts her weapon away and walks over to her. "We'll see about that."

And suddenly she's floating. She's never been off the ground for more than a few seconds before, not counting when she sits on her rocks, and she doesn't like it. She flails, but the bubble is too large for her to touch the sides.

"Put her down." The lady with pretty hair says, but Amethyst can't hear her through the bubble. Can't hear any of them.

"Not until we get to the base. As much as I respect your opinion and respect _you_ , this is still a kindergarten gem. I won't let you get hurt."

"Please." She brushes it off. "You both saw it too, didn't you? How can you tell me she's dangerous?"

The two smaller gems glance at each other. "Just because it appears to have a mind of its own and original personality," The one holding the bubble says. " _Doesn't_ mean it isn't dangerous."

Rose doesn't say anything a long moment. Then, she sighs. "Alright. But the moment I get the okay from Garnet and Pearl, I'm taking her with me."

"I'd prefer that, ma'am."

Amethyst settles down once they started moving again. "I only see good things coming from this." Rose hums as they board the warp pad.

"With all due respect, madam." The green gem says. "You're the only one."

* * *

Amethyst has never been on a working warp pad before, and, having no experience with warping whatsoever, is justly terrified when the small oval rock she was admiring suddenly shot out beams of light and they start _moving_.

She covers her eyes. When she opens them, everything she's ever known and loved is gone.

The gem holding her bubble chuckles at her expression. The gem with curly hair shushes her.

"She's never warped before. It's to be expected."

They walk down a long hallway filled with doors. No one says anything, but that's nothing Amethyst isn't used to.

Eventually they reach a door that opens to a small room with no discernible features. It's like her hole, only less friendly. The blue gem walks her to the center of the room, pops the bubble, and points a finger at her. "Stay." She says, like Amethyst has anywhere else she can go, before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind herself.

"Don't you think this is a bit cr-" She hears the pretty gem start to say before the door closes. Footsteps eventually fade into silence.

Leaving her alone. In a strange place.

They didn't even tell her where she _was_.

She rears back and punches the floor, because a hole all her own would make her feel _so_ much safer, but the floor is made of a type of stone that she can't break, making her pull back with bruised knuckles.

It's the first time she's ever felt helpless before, because what kind of life was she supposed to live if she can't even make herself a hole? How is she supposed to feel happy? How is she supposed to extreme daydream?

How is she supposed to _survive_ if she can't even hide?

Amethyst curls up in the far corner and tries to make herself as small as possible.

* * *

She learns fairly quickly that, if she presses her ear against the door, she can hear the voices of gems as they pass. She listens, mostly because it's all she _can_ do.

"I just don't get what Rose Quartz sees in her."

"Probably pities her. She was left on her own for a long time."

"She's practically feral."

"That's better than most kindergarten gems."

"Yes, but she _is_ still a kindergarten gem. We have to be on our toes."

Whatever this kindergarten gem thing was, it sounded pretty nasty. Amethyst wonders if the hard walls and floors were enough to keep it locked away.

But maybe that wasn't the answer? Maybe it was just like her; all scared and confused and stuff. Maybe it just wanted a hole to hide in. Maybe it wasn't scary at all.

"We should just crush its gem. Saves us some heartache."

Amethyst scrambles backwards with a yelp, because, while she may not understand exactly what they're talking about, she _does_ understand that. She covers her gem with her hand and back-stepped into her corner, eyes on the door.

Those gems are willing to kill a gem just because they don't like her. And, if memory serves, they don't like _her_.

The door opens, and Amethyst finds herself growling instinctively. The green gem from before calmly walks into the room. "Alright, runt. Madam Rose Quartz is here to see you."

She reaches for her, hand outstretched, and just how stupid do these gems take her to be? Two seconds ago they were talking about crushing gems, and now they want her to 'go see Rose'?

So Amethyst does the only thing she can think of; she reaches out and bites her hand as hard as she can.

The gem shrieks and tries to pull away, but Amethyst has an iron jaw. She shakes her head like a dog with a chew toy, _anything_ to get this gem to _go away_. She's scared and they're going to _hurt_ her.

The blue gem appears, having been within hearing distance, and pries her off with a yell. She pushes Amethyst to the ground with a snarl. Amethyst bunches her shoulders.

"Rose Quartz can come _get_ this beast, for all I care." The green gem says, shaking with anger. She looks like she wants to hurtmain _kill_ her. _Bring it on_. "I'm not putting my hands anywhere near that _mistake_ again."

Amethyst growls a challenge, because she's more than willing to give the other hand the same treatment.

They leave her alone, and Amethyst is grateful for it. She sinks to the ground, body shaking with adrenaline, anger, and fear.

"Amethyst?" It's the pretty gem with the curly hair, and she's almost happy to see her. "I heard what happened."

She balls her fists and stands up, because why not. Everyone else wanted a piece. Everyone else wanted to call her names and crush her gem. Why not her?

"It's okay. I won't hurt you. See?" She crouches down and grabs her hand. She jerks, but her grip, while feather light, is impossible to break. She presses her hand against the gem in her stomach. Amethyst stills. "See?" She says softly, gently pressing the palm of her hand against the purple one's gem. "I won't hurt you if you won't hurt me."

She stares at her hand a minute, how small it is compared to the _huge_ palm that's practically double the size of her gem, then slides to the floor once again. She doesn't know whether to cry or laugh. She doesn't do either. She just stares.

The gem with pretty hair perks up. "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you something. Wait here."

Amethyst doesn't want her to go, doesn't want to be left alone. She watches her go without a word.

Thankfully, she returns only a few seconds later, hands clasped behind her back. "Here you go!" She chirps, dropping something on her. It's a brown-ish color and soft and she wants to bury herself in it and never return. "Humans use it to keep warm, and this place is much colder than the- then where you're from." She stares at her, because what is a human and can they make her more of these things? "You've never seen a human before? Well, that makes sense, I suppose. Such a shame. They're a funny bunch, those humans. I love watching them."

She pulls the thing over her head and snuggles it, the only part of her uncovered being her face. It's like a cave, only softer. And mobile.

"Sorry about earlier." She says, brushing her bangs out of the way. "We're at the tail-end of a war. Picking up the mess, you might say. There was... a rebellion involved. It's made us all a bit antsy."

Amethyst has no idea what a rebellion is, but she likes the sound of it, the way the word slips past the taller gem's lips. _Rebellion_. Sounds like a really cool name for a really cool gem or a really cool weapon.

"Believe me, I'm more than ready to take you home; but I have associates living with me, and it wouldn't be fair of me to just show up and say 'hey, I brought home a new friend. Hope you don't mind!'" She shook her head in amusement. "Pearl would have a fit. Between you and me, though; I've already started making you a room. "

Oh. Amethyst feels her chest deflate. She'd thought the pretty lady meant _home_ home.

"Honestly, I don't understand what everyone is so afraid of. You're harmless."

Well, she _did_ just try to bite somebody's hand off. She could understand if they were afraid of her after that.

The gem with pretty hair talks to her awhile about her friends- how one of whom has future vision and the other one trusts it completely so why are they still so hesitant about this? And, besides, the future-seer _had_ to know she was building her a room, but she didn't say anything about it, so it couldn't be that dangerous, right?- while Amethyst listens. Eventually she stands up and tells her it's time for her to go.

Amethyst doesn't want her to leave. Doesn't want to be all alone with those mean gems. She grabs her wrist.

The tall gem pulls away and ruffles her hair with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll come visit you again soon." She says, but there's something in her voice that Amethyst doesn't like.

* * *

Amethyst learns that if she lays on her side and covers herself with the pretty gem's gift, she can envelop herself in darkness from head to toe and then lull herself into extreme daydreaming.

She leaves a hole at the top, though. That way, it feels more like home.

The blue gem comes in one day, looking really scared. "I'm shutting this cell down. Don't let anyone know you're here."

Amethyst doesn't even get to ask before she disappears. This time, a second door closes, and everything goes dark.

There's a lot of crashing and banging and yelling. Amethyst hides in her blanket-cave and tries to ignore it.

It's silent for a long time after that. Sometimes footsteps trail by, but the light never comes back on, and the doors stay shut. It's at least a few years before the banging and such starts up again- but to gems that's no time at all.

This time the door opens. It's the pretty lady with a pink shield and sword, both of which she drops- magically and physically- as soon as she lays eyes on her.

"Amethyst!" She grabs her and presses her against her chest in what she later learns to call a hug. "Thank the stars! I was worried."

She strains to look over her shoulder, but the hallway, which she remembers being brightly lit, is pitch black.

"Remember that mess I told you about? Some of it escaped us." She sighs. "Those gems who were watching over you? You won't be seeing them again anytime soon. I'm sorry."

That's okay. Amethyst didn't really like them anyway. Maybe they'd get along better once she was older.

Rose gently picks her up, blanket and all, and exits the room she's inhabited for so long. "Let's go home."

 **Author's Note: Alright, folks. This is the last chapter I've got written out. It's gonna be a while before I have another one to type out.**

 **Those gems are nameless more or less because they aren't relevant to the story other than to get a better idea of how the gems view Amethyst. You can consider them being predecessors to the modern-day Lapis and Peridot if you want; I just like the colors green and blue.**

 **Those are the last O.C.'s that'll be in this story, by the way. I'm not one to plant O.C.'s into stories like this if I can help it.**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **...**

 **Purest Of Hearts \- I hadn't thought of that, honestly, but I love the idea! =)**

 **GayPearl \- Thank you! As a writer, causing others to have feels is my mission.**

 **GayPearl \- Again, thank you! And I'm back; sort of!**

 **Siiilltt \- THAAANK YOOOU! =)**

 **DeathBright \- Thank you, and here you go! =)**

 **...**

Amethyst tries not to fidget as Rose carries her down, but abandons all pretense of doing so when she see's the smooth oval rock that got her into this mess. She hooks her feet into the larger gem's arms and tries to pry herself free.

"Don't worry, Amethyst. It's okay." She tries to soothe her, but Amethyst isn't stupid. She's seen that thing burst into light. It's not safe. "It won't hurt you, I promise." There was that word again.

The pretty lady doesn't let go of her even as she steps onto the warp pad. "Don't close your eyes this time. It's not as scary as it looks."

Amethyst keeps her eyes open this time, mostly because to close her eyes she'd have to let go of her death grip on the pretty lady's arms and she isn't sure if she's capable of doing that right now.

The lady is right. It's not as scary as she thought it would be. But what she see's next _is_.

It's _loud_ and it's moving. The color looks kind of like that one gem's skin tone, but it's hard to see at this time of night. Amethyst whimpers and tucks herself into her blanket-cave for protection. The gem with pretty hair bends over to look at her better. "Amethyst?"

She stares at the loud moving thing for what feels like an eternity before she finally catches on. " _Oh_! You've never seen the sea before!"

It's not a question, because she knows she hasn't. Amethyst is glad she hasn't before; it hurts her ears and it looks like it could swallow her whole.

"It's not dangerous, I promise. It's technically not even a living being; just filled with them."

Rose starts walking closer to the water against Amethyst's will. She lets out a strangled noise and starts fighting her.

"Trust me." The pretty lady says.

She does trust her. It's that loud sea-thing she isn't to sure of.

Rose gently crouches down and grabs her hand, dipping her fingers into the water. "See? It won't hurt you."

Amethyst shivers at the new sensation and stared at the liquid flowing over her purple fingers.

Alrighty then. That didn't mean she had to like it.

The pretty gem stands with a satisfied smile and trails up the dark beach. "See? You learn something new every day."

That's a lot of learning to make up for, then. Amethyst hasn't learned anything new in a very long time.

The first time she lays eyes on the temple from the outside, she's in awe, mostly because that's a _really_ big gem. Rose leads her back inside.

Almost on cue, the door opens. Another tall gem comes into the room, followed by a smaller, thin gem who's holding onto her arms in search of stability and protection.

"Is that... it?" The thin one asks, staring at her as though she's never seen a tiny purple gem before in her life and hadn't ever really expected to.

"Yup! This is her." The pretty gem holds her out to be examined. "Girls, meet Amethyst."

The taller gem pulls away from the thin gem and walks up to her without a word. Glasses have yet to be invented at this point, so Amethyst is fully aware of the three-eyed scrutiny she's under.

She goes limp in the pretty lady's arms, feeling incredibly vulnerable. She's not as tall as the pink-haired lady, true, but she's got this _presence_ that tells you she's more than capable of taking you out with a single punch- and she would, too. Just give her a reason.

Amethyst doesn't want to die. She doesn't look away.

"It's okay." Rose assures her, holding her out for the scary gem to take. She does so without a word, lifting her up to eye level and wow that's a long way down. Rose steps back, blanket-cave in her arms.

"Garnet?" The thin one prods. Garnet doesn't answer.

She stares at her a long moment, Amethyst sinking as far down as possible while trying to look non-threatening (not that that's hard at this point), before finally letting out a low chuckle and flashing her a wide smile.

"And this verdict is?" The pretty lady asks with a smile of her own.

"I don't see what the fuss is about. She's harmless."

Amethyst blinks at her. It's her first time hearing an accent before, and, while pretty, she isn't sure what to make of it.

" _Finally_!" She exclaims, her voice border-lining on a squeal.

"Are you sure?" The thin gem asks, sounding uncertain.

"Just look at her. She's terrified. That's not exactly the mark of a threatening force."

Yeah, well, Amethyst is thankful for the sentiment and all (whatever _that_ means) but if the big gem could maybe hand her back to the nice gem, that would be nice. Or put her down. She'd like that too.

"So we're keeping her?" Rose says with a wide smile. The thin one glances between her and Garnet.

"Well... If Garnet's sure she's not a threat, then I suppose it's okay with me."

"Thank the stars!" She pulls the gem into a hug. She blushes bright blue. "I was so worried about where I'd take her if you said no. Thank you, Pearl!"

"N-No problem." Pearl stutters, then regains her composure. "But the issue of giving her a place to stay is still there."

"No, it's not." The scary gem says, giving the pink gem a pointed look. "Rose made her a room. That's why there's another hole in the star."

"What!?" She squawks, sending her a betrayed look. "I thought you were just adding on another room to store bubbles in!"

"I never said that. You just assumed." Rose tells her gently. "It's only one room. Adding it won't make or break us."

"Are you sure she should be left alone?"

"She's been alone for quite awhile now with no problems." Rose retrieves her from Garnet and wraps the blanket-cave around her. Amethyst, thankful to be back in safe arms, made a content noise. "She'll be fine."

"B-But, Rose! She's a-" Garnet sends her a warning look. Pearl immediately backs down. "Yes, Rose. If that's what you want."

"We'll talk about it in a minute." The pretty gem says, carrying her over to the door. "Point your gem at the door, Amethyst."

She gingerly sticks her chest out. A purple light came on the star and the door opens without delay. "See? That's all you have to do."

The door closes behind them. Garnet glances at Pearl. "I don't want you to hold your tongue, Pearl. I just don't think Rose wants us to say 'kindergarten' around the new gem."

"She has to find out sometime." She sniffs and looks away. "Rose can't hide the truth from her forever."

Garnet doesn't answer. She stares at the star in the center of the door contemplatively.

* * *

Her room is made of gleaming crystals that cover the floor and walls. Off to the side is a waterfall that spills out into a pond.

"That's Pearl's room." She points at the evil liquid. "Make yourself at home. I'll have someone check in on you in the morning."

This time, Amethyst honestly isn't bothered by her leaving. After all the new sensations and contact, being alone is ideal.

Dragging the blanket-cave behind her, Amethyst walks to the far corner of the room, sets the cloth aside, and rears back.

This time, when she punches the ground, it gives.

It takes her hours to dig down and back, creating her own little niche in this strange place, but it's all worth it to pull her blanket-cave in and have _double_ the hole to sleep in.

She hates it, honestly. It feels horrible compared to her hole; all bumpy and filled with ridges, whereas her hole was just the right size and mostly smooth. But it's the closest she's going to get tonight, so she curls up and drifts into her first semi-comfortable extreme-daydream she's had in awhile.

 **Author's Note: We, the fandom, may see Garnet as nonthreatening (unless you're from Homeworld. Or are mean to her kid. Obviously) but to Amethyst, whose barely ever seen any other gems, Garnet has to be a terrifying sight. Three-eyes, stiff moving, obviously powerful, etc. =)**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **...**

 **Purest Of hearts \- Me too. Garnet isn't someone to be messed with. =)**

 **Casperace13 \- Thanks!**

 **Liliana Dragonshard \- Tiny Amethyst is adorable and quite cuddly. I agree. =)**

 **...**

Amethyst's extreme daydreaming isn't as fun as it normally was. The evil liquid keeps thundering in her ears, making it hard to focus.

Eventually she figures out how to tune it out. _Then_ she finally gets some sleep.

A few hours after _that_ (and it's a good thing she doesn't need sleep, or there would be heck to pay) a square shadow falls across the oval entrance of her self-built hole.

"Amethyst."

Amethyst squirms and buries herself deeper into her blanket-cave. Maybe if she doesn't move, the scary gem won't see her, and she'll live another day.

...And she could get some more sleep. There's that too.

Garnet crouches down a bit. "Rose sent me to check up on you."

Well, if anything, that's a good sign that she isn't going to die quite yet. She begrudgingly pokes her head out of her new resting spot.

"Ah. Well, you look okay. My job here is done."

But she isn't really listening. This is the first chance she's gotten to really look at the gem up close- especially up hands, which had been firmly clamped to her sides.

Amethyst, to curious to think straight, grabs her wrists to examine the palms of her hands. Garnet lets her, scanning her as she scans her two gems.

...What the heck. That's _so_ not fair! Double the gems meant double the awesome. Amethyst would love having two gems; one in the front and one in the back. (Although, now that she thought about it, that would make falling tricky.)

"Noticed that, did you?" She jumps, because she's kinda forgotten whose hands she was messing with, but the scary gem doesn't look all that bothered. "Never seen two gems together before, have you?"

She shook her head.

"Didn't think so. I'm a fusion. That's why I've got more 'n one. Do you know what fusion is?"

She nods, because she does, vaguely. It's two or more gems, mashed together, to create a bigger gem. It's also a really outdated battle tactic (not that Amethyst would know, having never been in a battle before) that's usually used as a last-ditch effort to survive by weak gems.

...At least, that's what her programming tells her. Considering the fact the gem looks like she could crush you by _blinking_ wrong, Amethyst guesses (smartly), that that's not really the case.

"That's why I got two gems. I'm made up of two, so I have two." She nudges the left one forward. "This is Ruby." Again, this time with the right one. "And this is Sapphire."

There went Amethyst's awesome idea. Oh, well. It'd be hard to summon weapons from her back anyway.

Amethyst lets out a loud yawn. If Garnet had eyebrows, they would've risen at the sound. "Were you... sleeping?"

She blinks at her, because what the heck is sleeping? Garnet doesn't bother trying to explain. "What you were doing before I came in here; I think you might've been sleeping. You know you don't need to sleep, right?"

Well, duh. Who _needed_ to extreme daydream?

She slowly shook her head. "...Never mind. Come on, we need to clean the rubble up from your diggin'. Pearl will have a fit otherwise."

Well...The scary gem _seemed_ nice enough, and it wouldn't make sense for the pretty lady to have her killed off now, so she supposed it was safe. Amethyst untangled herself from her blanket-cave and crawls out of the hole.

Garnet did most of the work, through no fault of her own. The quiet gem (who wasn't as scary anymore) seemed to honestly not mind picking up the larger chunks of rubble and carrying them as though they were made of feathers. Amethyst followed close behind, picking up the smaller rocks and, when she thought the older gem wasn't looking, popping them into her mouth.

You can't really chew rocks. Amethyst tilts her head back and swallows, then pops another, smaller one into her mouth.

"Spit that out."

She jumps and tries her best to look innocent, cheek bulging. Garnet held out a hand. The one with the gem called 'Ruby', she noticed.

"That's not good for you. Hand it over."

She shakes her head. She contemplates just swallowing and being done with it all, but who knows how the larger gem will react.

"Alright, how about this. If you give me that, I'll get you something tastier to chew on."

Amethyst blinks at her. Garnet smirks.

"What, you think that's all there is out there to eat? I can get you somethin' you'll really enjoy sinkin' your teeth into, but only if you hand that rock over."

She thinks about it for a second, then spits it out into her hand. Garnet's lips twitch, but otherwise she seems unaffected by the saliva coating the stone. She gently sets it on top of the pile.

* * *

"Garnet, is that... meat?"

Garnet, her arms full of berries and what looks to be freshly cooked prey, nods. "Yup. The kindergarten gem likes eating. Sleeping, too. I thought it'd be a good idea to turn her onto actual food instead of rocks."

Pearl looks horrified. "She knows she doesn't have to, doesn't she?"

She shrugs. "Looked like she was having fun to me. Don't see why we should make her stop now." She holds the food out. "You wanna go give it to her?"

The thin gem steps back, nose pinched. "Keep those disgusting things away from me."

Rose claps her hands together, starry-eyed. "Oh, that's a great idea, Garnet! Pearl, you haven't even gotten to see her up close yet. This is your chance!"

"But I don't want to..." Don't want to make you unhappy, she finishes mentally. What kind of gem was she if she made the one she loved most feel disappointed in her? Over a _kindergarten_ gem?

Garnet smiled at her. Pearl snatched the food away. "Give me that."

She wants to go into the new gem's room with her weapon drawn, she really does, but Garnet didn't seem to find her intimidating. Besides, if what Rose said was true, she was just a child. She probably wasn't even _aware_ of the war.

"Uh, hello." She says, trying not to show just how surprised she was when Amethyst, having caught the scent of fire-cooked meat, pops her head out of the ground. "Garnet told me to bring this to you."

She quietly sets the plate down a few feet away. Amethyst scrambled out of her hole, half-walking, half-crawling to get to her.

Pearl made a personal note to teach her how to walk and about the importance of good posture later. "You have got to be the smallest gem I've ever seen." She marveled as the gem grabs hold of the meat.

Ignoring the heat coming off of it in waves (of which she was still susceptible too, just not nearly as much as the average human), she tore off a chunk. The flavors hit her. Her eyes grew large.

"Well, I suppose that's one way to show you like it." Pearl chuckles awkwardly. Amethyst chows down like a starving animal, then collapses with a bad stomachache.

"You'll get used to it." She tells the small gem, and she isn't just talking about the food. "Just give it time."

 **Author's Note: Garnet as a fusion; revealed!**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **...**

 **Pikminsanity \- Not at all. I still smile at 'blanket-cave.' =)**

 **Purest of Hearts \- SHE DOES! No Slinker, unfortunately, although Amethyst has certainly begun to give it a place to call its own, with that hole and the many more sure to come after it, hidden amongst the piles of junk.**

 **Casperace13 \- Well, somebody has to be. =)**

 **LibraryOfStars \- She is a dangerous gem to tick off, yes.**

 **...**

The first thing they do is teach her how to walk the way they do.

It's not that Amethyst isn't capable of walking on two feet for long periods of time or hasn't thought about it before. Being on all fours just seems more... comfortable. Stable. Safe. That's all.

She can't explain that to them, and she doesn't want to let the pretty lady down ( _Rose_ , they keep calling her, but Amethyst doesn't know what a rose is, or if it fits her better than 'pretty lady', so she doesn't know _what_ to call her.) or the thin gem whose been trying so hard to teach her how to walk like them and 'posture', whatever that is, so she goes along with it.

Garnet shows her how to find food and tells her more about fusion. The gems have to be really close for it to work, apparently, which makes sense, considering that you're smashing them together; and the closer the gems, the more natural-looking the fusion.

Amethyst points at her palms, because Garnet looks like every other gem she's met so far, not counting the eyes.

"Hmm?" She glances at her hands and shrugs, looking decidedly pleased with herself. "Ruby and Sapphire are in love."

She blinks at her. They throw that Love word around a lot, but she hasn't the foggiest idea what it means.

"What's love? Well, it's hard to explain." She pauses. "Watch how Pearl acts around or about Rose. That ought to give you a good base idea."

Amethyst knows what she means, kind of. Pearl is always scrambling to help Rose, always wants what Rose wants and nothing else. Always puts herself down to make Rose look better in their eyes; especially hers, since she was new. If that was what love is, Amethyst never wanted to feel it.

"It's not the healthiest kind of love out there." She admits, catching the look on her face. "But it's still love. And it still shows."

* * *

The other gems have a habit of talking to her. Well, not _to_ her. It's... hard to explain. They look at her and speak, and she nods and makes gestures, but they don't seem to realize she actually _retains_ what they tell her. (Except for Garnet. But she doesn't say much anyway.)

So, yeah. She's been hearing a lot about the pretty lady from Pearl. And lot's of things from Rose that she doesn't quite understand. Things called _war_ and _armies_ and even a few things about those scary kindergarten gems she's never seen. She wonders what makes them so different from the other gems- who, as far as she knows, are made exactly the same way, just somewhere other than 'Earth', wherever that is- and why everyone flinches and looks at her when someone brings it up. _She_ never had to fight those things. _She_ wasn't the one they should be worried about.

Rose talks to her about Homeworld. Rose talks to her about Earth. She _doesn't_ talk about the in-between.

Amethyst puts all the talking to use and learns a few words of her own. Small, simple words like 'war', one-syllable and easy to pronounce. It's kind of garbled, and her voice is a touch off-pitch compared to the others, louder than it should be, but it's speech, and she can finally fill the silence all on her own.

She doesn't show it off, though. Not yet. It feels... too personal. Too new.

* * *

They take the warp pad to different places all the time. Rose and Garnet and Pearl. Amethyst still doesn't know how to use the pad, nor is she allowed to go with them. Someone usually stays to watch over her, but sometimes they leave her all alone in her room.

Amethyst likes it when they do. She can curl up in her blanket-cave in her hole, close her eyes, and pretends she's _home_.

At least, she thinks the right word is 'home.' Words have too many definitions and meanings for her to keep straight sometimes.

Eventually Pearl gets comfortable enough around her to take her with on a mission. She picks her up from behind and holds her nervously to her chest.

"It's not a big deal." She says, but Amethyst thinks she's doing that not talking _to_ her thing again. "It's not even a corrupted gem. You warp in, check in on things, and warp out. You'll like the forest, so I won't have to worry about you freaking out. It's _no big deal_."

She takes a deep breath and steps onto the warp pad.

Amethyst isn't as scared of warping as she used to be, but it's still not her favorite activity ever. She grips the taller gem's arms tighter and stares straight ahead.

And she's not kidding about liking the forest. Amethyst takes one look at it and falls in love.

It's like home, only _green_. It's big, but not dark, with things called trees that were like rocks only _bigger_ and a lot more fun and there's _more_ of them.

She wants to find the tallest one and climb it. Find a slightly smaller tree and kick it into two trees. Find a nicely built one to sit on. She's ready to dig herself a hole and stay here forever because it's all so _perfect._

Pearl isn't nearly as impressed. She's probably seen it before. "Alright, Amethyst. Don't wander _too_ far."

She gently set her on the ground and let go. Amethyst disappeared within seconds.

Amethyst would never admit it, but she has a habit of switching to four legs when no one is watching. She didn't think about it; it was just instinct. She could be herself without worrying about who will see.

No one was watching then. No one made her feel _silly_ about it then.

She's calmly walking around when she heard the sounds of animals playing. She peered through the bushes.

It's a group of wolf pups playing tug. They looked to be siblings. Two were actively playing, while a third watched them with curious eyes. It looked like a lot of fun so, without thinking, Amethyst jumped into the fray.

The two pups playing immediately dove into the bushes, while the third watches her curiously. Amethyst watches them go.

The remaining pup creeps forward cautiously and sniffs her. Amethyst copies the action, grinning at the noise the pup makes.

They play-wrestle and chase each other around for awhile. She learns how to copy the sounds it made rather quickly, more so than with words. She learns how to growl and yip and bark better and faster than she learns how to speak. It just seemed... easier. More natural.

They fall into a river. For a moment she's petrified, having never been in the evil liquid full-body before, but then she realizes she can stand up and pop her head out of the water and relaxes.

The wolf pup shakes the water out of its fur. Amethyst copies the action, but her clothes remain just as wet as they were before.

The mother wolf was waiting for the third pup in the bushes, looking like a kind motherly figure waiting for the right chance to scold her young. The wolf puppy makes a vague motion for her to follow.

Amethyst almost does, but suddenly she's being held by Pearl, who she had forgotten was there.

"Amethyst! Get away from them!"

The adult wolf growls at her, but Pearl merely kicks dust at her. For a moment that's all there is; a motherly bird and a motherly wolf staring each other down. The pups have already ducked away.

The wolf slowly turns and walks away, deciding that a new friend for her pups wouldn't be worth the fight to get them.

Amethyst made an annoyed noise at the tall gem, fuming at her treatment of her 'friends.'

"They're wild animals, Amethyst." Pearl says briskly, walking the opposite direction towards where she knew the warp pad was. "They're best left be."

Amethyst stares behind her, remembering how happy and comfortable she'd felt around those 'wild animals', and something inside her tightened painfully.

That night, she extreme daydreams of her home, only everything is green. The wolf pups are there, as well as some other animals she'd seen and heard about. She was happy and at home. But then a gem came and took it all away from her.

But this time it wasn't just Pearl. It was Rose, flanked by Pearl, her face pinched as though she'd done something wrong. As though it was all her fault.

 **Author's Note: The problems and issues start young with this one. =)**

 **Just to be clear though; Pearl _didn't_ see Amethyst playing with the puppies. She didn't see the mother wolf willing to ignore her existence if it helped keep her pups in line. All she saw was the little kindergarten gem crawling towards a large and potentially dangerous animal, and while gems can't die, no one is sure exactly how or when she will regenerate quite yet, and they don't want to have to deal with her coming to life in a wolf's digestive system, you know?**

 **I know that some of the people in the fandom don't like Pearl. Let it be said that I'm not trying to paint her in a bad light. _I_ like Pearl.**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **...**

 **Purest Of Hearts \- Of what variety, though. That is the question. =)**

 **DeathBright \- Thanks. =)**

 **Onikiba \- Thanks. I enjoy making something out of nothing, honestly. I have lot's of room to work with.**

 **rozenmiko \- It'll mess with her self-confidence, that's for sure.**

 **LibraryOfStars \- Aye, I remember that episode. If you've ever looked up the un-reversed parts, Amethyst actually was standing up for herself- she was also warning Pearl about the vines. But she got cut off, and no one there seemed interested in trying to figure out what she was saying.**

 **Cookie \- Thanks! That means a lot. =)**

 **CreativeBacon \- No loss of inspiration here. There's only two or three chapters left, actually.**

 **...**

You wouldn't expect it, but it's Garnet- stiff, solid, never-compromising Garnet- whom ends up being Amethyst's number one trouble buddy.

Then again, she's not really helping her get in trouble, either. She just teaches her the things Pearl and Rose forget to mention, like transforming; which is like getting in trouble, only safer.

"Okay, now try this." She transforms into a mouse, complete with dark fur and three eyes. Amethyst does the same after a moment of consideration.

She stretches herself out. She likes being tiny, but this is a bit _too_ tiny for her tastes. But, if anything, it's a good get-away form. She transforms into a small wolf pup- the first thing she ever changed into- and rolls around on the ground.

Garnet, back to her normal form, watches her a long moment before something seems to click. "Try this."

Amethyst glances at her, then stops and stares. Whatever this thing is, she loves it.

Garnet smiles, as best she can with a muzzle. "It's called a puma. Try it."

She does, and she loves it even more. If she could stay this was forever, she would, mostly because she feels strong and confident and _dangerous_.

Garnet shifts back with a look of satisfaction. "Shoulda known you'd be a cat kind of gem."

* * *

The first time Amethyst sees fusion in action, it's between Rose and Pearl.

Well, no. Garnet is the first fusion she sees in action. Rainbow Quartz is the first fusion _dance_ she ever gets to see.

Rose thought it'd be a good idea to demonstrate fusion firsthand; the ins-and-outs Garnet can't show her without un-fusing. Amethyst can see why.

The tall gem smirks at her in that self-satisfied way she does when fusion comes into play. "I figured you'd find it interesting. You know how to dance?"

Uh, no. Amethyst hadn't even known what dancing _was_ until she'd met the gems. She didn't even know what it'd _looked_ like until just now. She shook her head.

Garnet hums and nods. "Figured as much."

"I've never heard of a gem that can't dance before." Pearl says, hand over her mouth thoughtfully. "Is that even possible?"

"It seems so."

"Huh." Pearl looks at her curiously.

"You could teach her how to dance, Pearl!" Rose clasps her hands together, starry-eyed at the thought.

"Well... I don't know..."

Amethyst is enthralled by the idea. Sure, grace isn't really her thing, but she'll _make_ it her thing if she has to. Anything to learn how to dance. Anything to learn how to fuse.

"The height difference." Is Pearl's weak excuse. Garnet shrugs.

"You're the closest to her in height."

She has a point. There's a pause. "Oh, alright. If you think it's a good idea."

The small gem lets out a squeak of joy and grabs her hand. Pearl allows the action, looking much less enthused.

* * *

Amethyst has come to understand two things in very quick succession.

1.) Pearl's fancy-schmancy way of dancing is a lot harder than it looks.

2.) Amethyst doesn't have a single fancy-schmancy bone in her body. Not that she has bones. That's strictly a human thing.

But that's okay. This kind of junk probably didn't come to a gem overnight. Pearl probably struggled with it once, too. A long time ago.

(Then again, Pearl said gems are born able to dance. Maybe she was born capable of doing it. But where did that leave her?)

And then there's the whole 'we can't touch while we're practicing' thing. The thin gem is concerned that they'll fuse accidentally if they aren't too careful.

But isn't that a good thing though, fusion? Or is it only good when it's like Ruby and Sapphire; Rose and Pearl? Is that's the case, how is she supposed to be able to _do_ anything?

Then again, they might not want her to be able to do anything. They still haven't taught her how to warp. They still haven't told her why those gems had been so afraid of her- despite her small stature and even smaller age number- or why Rose had been so surprised to find her.

Maybe they thought she couldn't. Or maybe she was just too young.

Amethyst falls flat on her face a bunch of times with every move that makes her go even slightly off-balance. Pearl does her best to instruct her without touching her, but something about the whole thing is lacking.

At the end of the practice, Amethyst is certain of one more thing besides the pain in her rear;

Something about her is wrong. Different. Not like Garnet or Rose of Pearl. Something she can't quite place; something she can't quite name.

* * *

"So, Pearl's teachin' you to dance." Garnet says conversationally. Amethyst swings her legs off the warp pad and nods.

"How's that been going?"

Kinda cruddy, actually. With every dance step, Amethyst can feel the gap between her and the other gems widen. Feel herself become more and more of an outcast. Something is wrong; something they aren't telling her. And it's about her.

Amethyst shrugs.

"Yeah? Don't take it personally. Pearl's never had a pupil before. Not on somethin' like dancing. She has no clue what she's doing."

Well, that made two of them.

Garnet eyes her a long moment before pushing away from the wall to stand beside her. "Have you danced _with_ anybody yet?"

Amethyst stares at her, because duh. She's been dancing with Pearl for weeks now.

"Not like that. Like _actual_ dancing."

Amethyst blinks and slowly shakes her head.

"Well then, let's dance." She says it simply, as though she were talking about the weather. Then again, things like dancing and fusion were such a pivotal aspect of her that maybe it was that simple; maybe this was her way of extending a card of friendship- through dance.

...Ah, what the heck. She's really interested in trying all this stuff out. Amethyst makes an affirmative noise.

Their gems don't glow, but, then again, they aren't trying to fuse, either. Amethyst tries to be all graceful and junk- like Pearl- but falls flat on her back.

"Don't dance like Pearl. Dance like you."

Amethyst gives her a pointed glance. Garnet shrugs.

"Do whatever feels natural."

Natural? Natural, for Amethyst, was running around on all fours. 'Natural' was rough-housing and snarling and growling. _Dancing_ wasn't natural.

Then again, a beat began to pound through her. Amethyst liked it immediately; it was simple and catchy. Another beat, more complex and multi-layered, meshed almost seamlessly with hers; Garnet's song.

Huh. Garnet had a theme song. _She_ had a theme song. _They_ had a theme song.

 _Awesome_.

(Did Ruby and Sapphire have their own theme songs, she wondered. Maybe they had a single song, meshed together forever like they were. That'd be kinda cool.)

Amethyst jerked her shoulders as some sort of makeshift dance move. It wasn't smooth or graceful by any means, like the things Pearl taught her. It _was_ , however, a lot more fun.

"Yeah, that's more like it."

Garnet's dance style is a lot like hers, only smoother. Despite her stiff body movements and way of expressing herself, there was a natural fluidity to her that she couldn't copy. It's mystifying. A fusion thing, maybe? Or just a Garnet thing?

They dance for a while. Their gems don't glow- a feature Amethyst personally finds to be really cool- and they don't come within contact range of each other, but it's fun. More fun than Pearl's dancing lessons, that's for sure.

Rather than do the civilized thing and sit down, Amethyst flops onto her back, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with the warp pad. Garnet doesn't berate her for it, watching with curious eyes.

"That thing still scare her?"

She shrugs. It did, just not as much as it used to.

"Well, heck. I'll give you a quick how-to course. Knock the rest of the fear right outta you."

Amethyst sits up in surprise. She was starting to suspect there was a no telling Amethyst how to warp rule.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Pearl and Rose aren't quite sure what to make of you yet, but I don't think teaching you is gonna hurt any."

They spend the rest of the night breaking little no-Amethyst rules. For once, Amethyst doesn't mind not getting to extreme daydream.

 **Author's Note: Suspicious Amethyst is suspicious. Even if fusion is a discarded battle tactic, it would make sense that most gems are instinctively able to dance. Just in case.**

 **Pearl especially would have no problems with this. Pearls aren't made for battle; they're made specifically to entertain and look pretty. Things like dancing are a pivotal part of her survival. But Amethyst, a quartz, is made to be a soldier. Homeworld would focus less on things like dancing and more on things like battle capabilities and strength. The Crystal Gems don't know that quartz's can't dance because they were never in a situation to find out.**

 **Only two/three chapters left, folks! This story isn't going to have a definite and resounding end; it's supposed to be a exploration in Amethyst adjusting to life in the Crystal Gems, that's it.**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Found**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **...**

 **20Last-Sparkle01 \- Very true. I hope they'll get more in the coming episodes. =)**

 **rozenmiko \- Indeed.**

 **...**

She didn't mean to get the quiet gem in trouble. Honest.

Amethyst didn't know she was supposed to keep her extra dance lessons a secret. Nobody told her too. But Pearl gave her a look like she had three heads when she showed off her own special dance moves at practice. That's when she knew she was in trouble.

"That was... new." She says slowly, blinking. Amethyst immediately shrinks away, feeling like she'd done something wrong. She switches to all fours without thinking about it; the closer to the floor, the better.

"It's okay, Amethyst. You're not in trouble." Pearl says in a tone of voice that told her she was in trouble. "Who taught you how to dance like that?"

She hesitates, but Garnet would probably want her to tell the truth anyway. She gingerly held out her hands, palms outstretched.

"Garnet?" She nods. "I should have known. She's always been... enthusiastic about fusion. This is her first chance to actively _teach_ someone about it. I'll talk to her."

Pearl turns and walks out of the room. Amethyst follows, sitting on the warp pad to see better.

"You danced with her." Pearl accuses. She sounds more concerned than anything else.

She doesn't bother trying to deny it. "I did."

"I thought we agreed that _I_ was going to be her teacher."

"We did; you are. Think of me as a sort of tutor."

"Garnet... you didn't dance _with_ her, did you?"

"We didn't touch, if that's what you mean." Garnet replies steadily. They both seem to have forgotten about her.

Pearl looks relieved. "Good. We still don't know what will happen if she fuses with us, after all."

"We have to find out sometime." She says firmly.

Find out what, Amethyst wonders. They're all gems here. She's a little slow on the uptake on the whole dancing thing, sure, but that won't effect her fusion, will it? Fusion is all emotion; she's good with emotions.

So what is Pearl worried about?

"She's a gem like us, Pearl." Garnet nods in her direction, but neither of them seem to actually register her presence.

"Yes, but Homeworld... well, you know."

No, no she didn't. Amethyst would appreciate being told.

"She's not like the others. You know that."

"Yes, well, we can't be to sure. We need to watch over her. That's why she can't warp."

Garnet looks faintly amused. "Oh, she knows how to warp. I taught her."

" _Garnet_!" Pearl's jaw drops. "We still don't know how she'll react! We can't let her just go off on her own; what if she doesn't come back?"

"Then we let her go. If she doesn't want to stay here, she doesn't have to."

"Of course not!" She looks appalled at the thought of forcing her to stay. "But, still. We can't be sure she won't turn violent."

Violent? Is _that_ what Pearl thought of her? Amethyst slumps on the warp pad, feeling smaller than ever.

"Pearl. She barely comes up to my knee. She couldn't do more 'n scuff boots."

"Rose told me she knows how to summon her weapon." Pearl wrung her hands. "Not to mention that she's sure this isn't her fully grown form."

Fully grown? Oh, the form she came out in. Eh. Maybe she'd show them later. Amethyst shrugs internally.

"She still isn't going to be all that big. The hole Rose found her in was only twice her size."

 _Only?_ Amethyst thinks, feeling miffed. That was plenty, thanks. Some gems didn't grow to be the size of trees; like Garnet was. And Pearl. And... Rose.

(Was she the only short gem in existence?)

"You know as well as I do that size doesn't matter."

"Pearl, you worry to much."

"She's a _kindergarten gem_ , Garnet!" She bursts out. "Of _course_ I'm worried!"

Amethyst's imaginary heart stops.

That can't be right. Rose always told her that kindergarten gems were big and mean and strong. Amethyst isn't any of that. Pearl can't be right.

But, then again... that would make sense, wouldn't it? Why was Rose so surprised to see her? Because she's a kindergarten gem, and they were all taken away ages ago- into the sky. Why were the two gems so mean to her? Because she's a kindergarten gem, and they'd just fought a war _against_ kindergarten gems. Why was Pearl and Rose so worried about her powers? Because kindergarten gems were made on a planet with strange life on it, and they weren't sure just how she'd develop because of it. It all made sense.

(Why did that one gem call her a mistake? Because she's a kindergarten gem, and it's the truth.)

Tears well up in her eyes. She bares her teeth in a grimace.

Garnet stares at Pearl a long moment. "I don't see your point."

"She was specifically made to be violent and dangerous."

"I was made to believe that fusion was wrong and that I shouldn't exist. Pearls were made to never settle an argument with yelling- to never argue, for that matter." Pearl visibly flinches. Garnet's face softens. "None of us are quite normal here. 'S why we _stayed_ here, Pearl. We can't treat Amethyst differently just because she's a kindergarten gem; that's all kinds of hypocrisy."

Pearl slumps, considering her words carefully. "I suppose you have a point."

"Good." A light snuffling sound has both gems whip their heads to the side. Garnet's face falls. "Amethyst?"

Amethyst clenches her fists and bunches her shoulders. So what if she's crying? She's made to fight. She has to be violent and mean; that's what Pearl meant, right? It doesn't matter if she's crying or not, only if she can fight the fight and win.

They both reach for her. "Amethyst, I didn't mean-" Pearl starts to say.

"No!" She yells. Both gems jump in surprise. Amethyst jumps off the warp pad and runs to her room, passing Rose on the way through.

"Amethyst?"

The door slams shut behind her. Rose blinks. "What was that about?"

"Amethyst found out." Garnet reports grimly. Rose slowly nods.

"...I see."

"Did you know that she could do that?" Pearl asks curiously. The quiet gem shook her head.

"I knew that she understood what we were saying, but I didn't know she could _speak_."

"Should we go in after her?"

"Not yet." Rose shook her head. "Give her some time."

 **Author's Note: The revelation!**

 **Only one chapter left, folks. =) Ready? Also, I'd like to re-state that Pearl isn't _trying_ to hurt Amethyst. Kindergarten gems are still an unknown variable to the Crystal Gems; Pearl isn't sure how to take that. Keeping her close until they figure things out is the only idea she and Rose have had, but Garnet's more for giving her freedoms and watching her blossom.**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read Review!**


	9. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe**

 **Title: Forgotten, Then Sound**

 **Summary: 'Until, one day, something walks by her hole. Not animal, something. She's seen mice and birds before, has seen them starve to death and fade away. This something is two-legged, large, and tall.' Rose goes to the Kindergarten to collect one of the remaining wailing stones. She finds that and more.**

 **Author's Note: Epilogue, folks! We're in the home stretch!**

 **...**

 **Soleana \- I know what you mean. I'll miss this story. If anything, I've got plenty of proofreading ahead of me. =)**

 **20Last-Sparkle01 \- Really? I didn't know that. Either way, Amethyst made herself even smaller in order to make her playing more challenging back in the kindergarten. I laughed too. That's one of my favorite parts in the chapter, honestly.**

 **Liliana Dragonshard \- Indeed. Thanks for sticking with me! It's nice to see familiar screen-faces amongst the new people in new fandoms. Good luck in your own writing/reading endeavors! =)**

 **Onikiba \- Don't worry. Steven Universe will return from the war soon. =)**

 **LibraryOfStars \- It is, but it also makes her all the more human, you know? It's nice to see characters who react to new or uncertain situations in a realistic way (I.E.; badly.) Normally I wouldn't say something like that of a character who's technically an alien, but she's also been on our planet for thousands of years. She's bound to have picked up some human traits.**

 **CreativeBacon \- Thank you! That means a lot. (and I love 'acknowledging' comments; it's my way of communicating with people in fandoms. It's a way for me to see/read a bit about the people beyond the nice words and well thought-out reviews.)**

 **...**

"She still hasn't come out?" Rose asks, fingers intertwined together anxiously.

Pearl shakes her head. Garnet looks just as put-off. "I think she made her hole bigger. I thought I could grab her before, if need be; now I can barely see her."

"She's dug her heels in." Garnet says. "Literally."

"Oh, dear." Rose hums. "I knew we should've told her sooner."

"I can shape shift her out, if you want." Garnet offers. "Or I could un-fuse, if that's what it takes. Ruby could probably get to her if she stretched enough."

"No, no. That's a bit excessive. It'd probably scare her. Thank you for the offer, though." She sighs. "Let me talk to her."

* * *

Rose sees immediately what Pearl and Garnet are talking about. Before, Amethyst had always been within grabbing reach, usually sprawled out and content. Now she could just barely make out the lump covered by the blanket at the far back of the hole, which appeared to be much longer than it was before.

"Amethyst?"

Nothing. The lump didn't even twitch.

"Amethyst, we need to talk."

The blanket shifts, as though something were testing its mobility, before falling still once again.

"You can't stay in there forever." She warns. There's a pause. "Well, you can, but I know for a fact that you won't want to live that long without food."

 _That_ brings Amethyst out. She crossly pokes her head out of the top of her hole, eyes narrowed. She looks torn between the urge to cry and the urge to attack her, emotion warring with natural aggression.

 _So much like the others, yet so different..._ Rose thought.

"Come sit with me." She gestures to the pool the waterfall roars into. "Garnet and Pearl have been worried. Stirring up the water will give them some peace of mind."

Amethyst doesn't even bother to stand up. She marches on all-fours, head held high. Her dark eyes glisten, but she blinks away any tears.

"You have to understand, Amethyst." She begins, sitting down. Her feet slip soundlessly into the pool, while Amethyst dangles hers. "We weren't sure _you_ would understand."

The smaller girl sends her an outraged look. "Amethyst, please. It's easy for a creature to respond to speech, but to comprehend what's being said..." She hesitates. "We weren't sure if you actually _understood_ what we were saying, or if you were just copying us."

"Copy." She grunts thoughtfully, testing the word on her tongue.

"Right." Rose nods her head. "But now we know otherwise. You've done more than just understand; you've _taught_ yourself to speak."

Amethyst looks away, flushing purple at the pride in her voice. "Little words." She says, then demonstrates; "War."

Rose flinched. "That's what I'm here to talk to you about."

Amethyst lowers her head. "Kindergarten." She trips over the word. Then, more smoothly; "Mistake."

"Who told you that?" She demands, concerned.

"Gems." She searches futility for the right word. Finally she gives up and holds her hands up like she were bubbling something.

"Oh, _those_ gems." Rose knew very little about what all conspired during the small gem's detaining, but she can guess. "They were a paranoid bunch."

Amethyst stares at her, waiting for her to speak. "We shut that place down. The kindergarten, I mean. It's what started the war. I know that place is home to you, Amethyst, but it was destroying the planet. We- We thought they were all gone, honestly. We didn't know there was anything or anyone left."

The purple gem bows her head. "Sorry." It sounds more like she's biting the word rather than speaking it.

"Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for." Rose glances at her. "You're oddly talkative now."

Amethyst clenches her fists. "Time."

She understands. It hadn't been right for her to voice anything before, but now it was. It was time for her to come out her shell. She was done with gestures and grunts.

It was time for a lot of changes, really.

"Come on. Garnet and Pearl have been tearing their hair out."

* * *

Amethyst isn't really surprised, per say.

She's known something was off. She's known she's different. She's known that there was something they hadn't been telling her.

So she isn't surprised. Ashamed, more like it.

Why didn't they just crush her gem? What had been the point of all of this; taking her away from a place she'd been doing no harm and thrusting her into a world where she was constantly forced to walk on eggshells?

Was there something she wasn't getting? An endgame or agenda her mind just wasn't comprehending? Were they just amusing themselves; like humans, when they pick up an animal to train?

She didn't think she'd ever understand. And maybe that was for the best. Maybe she wasn't supposed to.

Pearl smooths her bangs out of her eyes, face drawn in concern. She honestly looks apologetic for something that- in all actuality- isn't her fault. Pearl may have been a little foolish in her words, but she was speaking the truth. It's not her fault Amethyst isn't right.

"I'm sorry, Amethyst."

Amethyst ducks her head, shifts in Rose's arms, and accepts her fate of forever being just a little out of the know-how. She sighs audibly.

"S'okay."

 **Author's Note: As I've mentioned before, this story has no real ending or moral; it's just an imagined snippet of Amethyst getting used to life and being forced to come to terms with the fact she's not 'normal' by gem standards.**

 **...Only to get smacked in the face a few thousands years later when she finds out she's defective. I'm not the only one who's pumped for the possible Amethyst-arc after what happened in 'Too Far', right?**

 **The thing about this 'fic that I'm not if I've properly shown is that, in here, there are no real enemies. There are no bad guys. There's just people; adjusting to a completely new life and mindset.**

 **Pearl wasn't trying to hurt Amethyst- she just wanted to protect her and Rose. Garnet didn't want to get Amethyst in trouble- she just wanted to help Amethyst by being 'the lenient, cool one.' Rose didn't want to shatter Amethyst's way of life- she just wanted to give her a possible place to live and love her like everyone else. Amethyst wasn't trying to shake things up- she just wanted to find comfort amongst all the new strange things.**

 **Good-bye! Until the next story; Good karma and happy times be with you!**

 **No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


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